


Full Hand

by MagicallyWritten



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: Alcohol, Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Bets & Wagers, Card Games, Complicated Relationships, Dragon Age II - Act 2, Drinking, Elf/Human Relationship(s), Established Relationship, Fenders, Footsie, Grinding, I know nothing about card games, Kissing, Light Smut, M/M, Mutual Pining, POV Fenris (Dragon Age), Secret Relationship, The Hanged Man (Dragon Age), Touching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:28:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24725275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagicallyWritten/pseuds/MagicallyWritten
Summary: Anders invites Fenris to the Hanged Man for a date involving drinks and cards, but the catch is that their relationship is a secret and Fenris doesn't want anyone to know about them; however, Anders decides to see how far he can go without getting caught, much to Fenris's chagrin.
Relationships: Anders/Fenris (Dragon Age)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 34





	Full Hand

As soon as Fenris opened the old wooden door to the tavern he had to quickly step to the side to avoid being hit by a drunken body.

“You can’t pay ‘fer any more drinks, now get outta ‘ere!” Someone from the bar yelled, causing the other patrons to clink their mugs together and cheer noisily.

Fenris looked down at the man who lay by his feet. He was too far unconscious to even realize he had been thrown halfway across the tavern. “Another normal day at the Hanged Man,” Fenris muttered to himself before carefully stepping over him. Admittedly, large crowds of loud humans were something he usually tried to avoid as an elf with peculiar markings that made him stand out, but he wasn’t here for himself. He was here on a summons, of a sort. A message was slipped under the door of the mansion he was… occupying for the time being. The context of the note was what brought him out to the tavern, a few short sentences dictated what he was doing tonight as he recalled what was written on the note:

Cards tonight? Not at the mansion, but at the Hanged Man this time. I want to go out with you. See you there. -A.

Fenris’s lips fell into a frown as he thought about how much power a simple mage had over him, to even state ‘see you there’ as if the note would certainly draw him out of his home—and what angered Fenris more was that it had. It was surprising, really, even to him, but there was something about this mage that made him wild. The first day he met him he wanted to rip his heart out, but over time he began to want the apostate’s heart out of love, not hatred. Their arguments were more of a play for the public, to keep their lie going, but a form of flirting, or foreplay, between them that nobody would understand. Fenris had made the apostate swear to keep their love a secret, as he couldn’t bear the thought of anyone finding out that he fell for such a man, a mage, a possessed apostate, of all things. Anders readily agreed to keep their secret if Fenris knew that their love would not get in the way of him fighting for the freedom of all mages, which Fenris only felt was a fair trade since he couldn’t imagine a life without Anders. Still, Fenris couldn’t believe how much the mage made him rethink his own stance on mages, and seeing him in the tavern, sitting at a lone table with three empty mugs next to him, some of his blonde hair in his face, his eyes deprived of sleep, Fenris felt that pang of adoration that he felt the first time they were alone together. 

“It’s surprising to see you here, mage,” Fenris said in his attempt to keep their façade up as he walked over to Anders. The mage glanced up, brushing his hair back and out of his face, his cheeks rosy from the alcohol he had already consumed. “Don’t you have some templar to hide from or a viscount to bother with your manifestos?” 

The tip of Anders’s mouth curled up in a half-smile, “Like anyone’s going to try to arrest me with Hawke in the city. I’m more surprised you’re here, Fenris—ran out of wine in that old mansion your squatting in?”

Fenris took a seat next to him, “I came to see if there’s anyone ready to lose their money against me in cards and look who I found, you.” He leaned back, holding a finger up for the bartender to get him a drink, “I’m all for taking a mage’s money…” He said, placing a decent sum of money on the table

Anders held his hand up as well to signal he was ready for another drink before putting it back down and placing his own money on top of the table. “Sure, I’ll even double my money since I’m certain you’re going to lose.” They both glared into each other’s eyes, their tensions seeming high but instead they were both losing themselves in each other’s eyes.

“Wait, you have one more joining you!” 

Begrudgingly, they pulled their gaze away from each other as Isabela pushed Merrill over to their table. She plopped the young elf down in a seat, placing some of her own money on the table before picking up the deck of cards and shuffling them.

“I-Isabela I don’t think I’m ready to play them!” Merrill said, her eyes wide.

“I’ll help you, kitten, there isn’t anything to worry about.” She said as she began dealing cards.

“You’re going to help her cheat, you mean,” Fenris said flatly, not happy with the interruption of Isabela, but going to the Hanged Man usually meant that she would be there, and she would barge her way into whatever Anders and Fenris had secretly planned. Out of everyone, besides possibly Varric, keeping their secret from her was the most difficult because of her knack at figuring out liars and her own lying abilities, but she had yet to catch on, thankfully.

“No no, I’ll teach her how to play for real, first, then how to cheat! And what about you, Varric?” Isabela called over to the dwarf, “Want to join us?”

Varric, who was standing in the middle of a crowd of drunkards, shook his head, “I have a story to tell tonight, I’ll play a different night. Anyway, as I was saying, Hawke was facing forty darkspawn and an ogre—”

“Speaking of Hawke,” Anders said, turning the groups’ attention back to the table, “Where are they?”

“They turned in early.” Merrill said, taking the cards into her hands, which were shaking from nerves, “They had quite a day!”

“Apparently so,” Fenris muttered, eyebrow raised, “battling forty darkspawn and all.”

“Well, it is Hawke.” Isabela said as she went to stand behind Merrill, “Varric’s story isn’t that far-flung for them!”

As Fenris picked up the cards dealt to him, two mugs came to the table and Anders took a long sip from his. “You should drink,” Anders muttered, wiping his mouth, drawing Fenris’s attention to the mage’s lips.

The elf adverted his eyes, bringing his hand up to his own mouth as he bit his bottom lip. He narrowed his brow, knowing that Anders knew what he was doing, drawing his attention is his lips. He was taunting him, making him want to kiss him even though they were in public. “I’ll drink when I want.” He said, his voice muffled by his hand, “You know the only chance you have winning against me is to get me piss drunk like yourself.”

Anders raised an eyebrow at Fenris’s reaction before he grinned devilishly, “I’m not piss drunk, not yet anyway.” He said before placing a card down, ending his turn.

“Your turn, Fenris!” Merrill said, happily, almost tilting her hand down far enough for the two to see her cards, but Isabela intervened.

“Kitten, you have to be careful, so they don’t see what you have!”

“Ahh sorry, I’m sorry!”

Fenris glanced at his own cards, but his mind quickly became fogged as he felt a hand brush against his thigh. Trying hard not to jerk his head towards Anders, he held the cards closer to his face, hiding his eyes which glared over at the mage, who still had that devilish smile on his face. Fenris nearly dropped his cards when the mage placed his hand daringly on the elf’s thigh, twirling circles with his fingers against his skin-tight clothes.

“Fenris, it’s your turn,” Isabela spoke up, waiting impatiently for him to play his card.

“Yeah, Fenris, what’s taking so long?” Anders’s tone of voice made it sound as if the mage was bored, but Fenris knew he was anything but. In a quick motion, Fenris threw a card down onto the table, ending his turn, as he placed the rest of his hand face down on the table before taking a long swig of the mug. 

“You’re playing that?” Isabela criticized, crossing her arms in front of her.

Merrill looked at what he played with her brows furrowed, “Are you ill Fenris? That… that card doesn’t—”

Fenris banged the drink down onto the table, “Just play, blood mage.” He sputtered.

“Try to be nice for once…” Isabela muttered before leaning down to Merrill, whispering in her ear, trying to aid her in choosing which card to play.

While the two women worked together to win the game, Fenris eyed Anders, who hadn’t moved his hand, nor his gaze, from Fenris. He was going to get them both caught if he wasn’t careful, but Fenris wouldn’t be outdone by the mage.

“My turn is done!” Merrill announced, placing her card down.

“You don’t need to announce… ah, never mind.” Isabela said, tilting her head at Anders, “Your turn…” When he didn’t acknowledge her, she sighed, “Isabela to Anders, come in Anders—are you home? Is Justice taking over? I wouldn’t mind talking with him, and doing other things with him—”

With a roll of his eyes, Anders’s attention broke from Fenris and went to his cards, keeping his other hand on the elf’s lap, “I’ve told you, Isabela, Justice and I are one and the same.”

“Pity, I always wondered what it would be like to have a threesome with a fade spirit and a mage.”

“Ew…” Merrill responded, turning her nose up as if she smelt something disgusting.

Fenris huffed at Isabela’s statement, “You know that’d be dangerous.”

Isabela laughed, “Dangerously erotic.”

“Drop it, you two,” Anders muttered under his breath.

Fenris decided to stay silent, but he felt annoyed at both Isabela and Anders. Isabela, because she constantly flirted with him—but she did that with everyone—and for her suggesting Justice was his own entity. Fenris knew the truth, that this so-called Justice was nothing more than a demon, trying to take over Anders. But even though Fenris had brought this to Anders’s attention before, the mage was still apprehensive at the thought of him being controlled by a demon and continued to state that they were the same being with the same goals in mind. This was one of the many things that they would fight over, and Anders made it fully apparent how much Justice hated Fenris and he made sure that Justice knew the feeling was mutual—however, that was the bases of their relationship and they knew this. Anders believed that he could change Fenris’s mind on mages, and Fenris believed he could help free Anders of the demon inside him, and they both knew that neither would get what they wanted, but turning a blind-eye and turning their anger into lovemaking was a ruse they didn’t want to give up. Fenris glanced over at the mage, who was concentrating hard on his cards—or was just too far drunk to know what cards he had—and Fenris moved his foot to rub it against Anders’s calf. His whole body stiffened from the sudden touch, and Fenris had to do everything in his power to stop himself from snickering. Quickly, just to end his turn, Anders threw a card down onto the table, placing the cards in his hand back down as he muttered a curse under his breath.

“Damn you’re really drunk if you’re playing that.” Isabela chuckled, “Your turn, pretty eyes.” 

Fenris paid her little mind as he picked up his cards in his left hand, once again using them to hide his face as he finally let out a small smile, his foot continuing rubbing against the mage’s leg. He managed to glance at Anders’s face, which was redder than before, and he felt a bit of pride wash over him that he could match the mage at his own tricks, but Fenris wasn’t ready for what Anders did next. As Fenris went to play his card the mage grabbed something that was… delicate of Fenris’s, something that was getting harder by the second. This made the elf jump up from his seat in surprise, his cards falling onto the floor and the table as Anders pulled his hand away swiftly.

Merrill jumped in her seat from his reaction, “Fenris?” She asked, startled, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, you’re acting… weirder than usual.” Isabela agreed.

“U-uh…” he grumbled before glancing over at Anders who had a large grin on his face, “I won!” he said in a sing-songy voice.

Fenris felt a mix of emotions—firstly, he wanted to wipe that look off Anders’s face by kissing him so hard. Secondly, he was worried that Merrill and Isabela would find out about them since what Anders just said made little sense.

“What?” Merrill asked, looking at the cards, “If we’re done playing then that means I won, Anders.”

“Sheesh, maybe I should be training him instead of you,” Isabela muttered, placing her hand on her hip.

“I’m done. You win, Merrill.” Fenris sighed, trying to end their curiosity as he picked his drink up to finish it.

“Yay! Isabela, I won! I won!” Merrill cheered, clapping her hands together

“Uh…” Isabela scratched the back of her head, at a loss for words, “Good job, kitten…” She glared at Fenris who just gave her a shrug in response.

“You’re heading home?” Anders asked as Fenris sat the drink back down.

“Yeah, I am.”

Anders stood on wobbly legs, “Guess I’ll head back, too…” He muttered as he tried to take a step but swayed a little too far and nearly fell, but Fenris caught him just in time.

“Be careful!” He said sternly, holding Anders close to him before his eyes widened, remembering they were in public, “Uh, y-you… dumb mage…” He stuttered, quickly adjusting so that Anders was leaning against him instead.

Isabela groaned, “Anders you always drink too much when you go out! Fenris, be a dear and make sure he gets home safe, please?”

“Oh, but it’s dangerous in Darktown at a time like this…” Merrill piped up, pressing her hands to her cheeks, “There are thugs and templars and bad people and—"

“What are you suggesting?” He asked, cutting her off.

“Well, can’t you keep him at your mansion for the night? It’s safer to walk in Hightown, isn’t it?” She replied. 

Fenris and Anders stayed quiet for a moment before Fenris sighed, trying to sound disappointed, “Must I?”

“Do I really have to stay with him?” Anders played off of what Fenris had said, sighing dramatically.

“Come on, Hawke would be angry if anything happens to the drunkard of our group.” Isabela sneered, “And I still want to teach Merrill some card tricks.”

Anders snickered, “Looks like your stuck with me, Fenris!”

Fenris scoffed, “Don’t expect a bed, and if you’re not gone by tomorrow morning then I’ll show you a magic trick of my own, one that can end a mage's life.”

“Fenris…” Isabela groaned as the two men began making their way to the front door of the tavern, “Play nice.” 

Fenris called back behind him, “No promises.” 

Once the two made it out onto the streets of Kirkwall Anders muttered under his breath to Fenris, who was supporting him while he walked, “Think they bought it?”

Fenris muttered back, “Not here, wait until we’re at the mansion…” He then said louder, “Can’t believe I’m forced to show hospitality to a mage like yourself!”

Taking cue, Anders replied loudly, “Don’t think I’m happy about it either, mage-killer!” 

Slowly, they made it to the front door of Fenris’s mansion in Hightown. The elf unlocked it after making sure no one had followed them. He helped the apostate inside and locked the door behind them before grabbing Anders’s arm.

“H-hey, what are you—” Was all he could say before Fenris slammed him against the door, pressing his body against the mage’s and cutting his words off with a deep, forceful kiss. Anders wrapped his fingers in the white locks of Fenris’s hair, moaning into the kiss as Fenris’s tongue entered the other’s mouth, the taste of Anders and alcohol overcoming the elf, making him want to taste more of him. He broke the kiss, both gasping for air as Fenris nibbled on Anders’s bottom lip, glancing up to see lustful eyes staring back down at him, both men needing more of each other. Fenris moved his lips to Anders's ear.

“What was that, back there? Were you trying to get us caught? Was that your whole idea?” He muttered before kissing Anders’s ear.

“I… ah…” Anders groaned, leaning his head back against the door, the throbbing below in his robes becoming almost unbearable for him as he thrusted his hips toward Fenris, trying to find something to rub against, “I just wanted to go out with you…” He let out another long and low moan when Fenris began kissing down the mage’s neck, “b-but after I saw you, I couldn’t help myself. I wanted you so bad.” He muttered, his hands falling to Fenris’s upper back as he tried to pull the elf closer to him.

Fenris smirked as he stopped kissing Anders, something that disappointed the mage, but the disappointment went away with Fenris’s command, “Turn around.”

Anders did what he asked without a moment’s hesitation, turning around so the front of his body was against the door. “Is this going to be a reward for being able to do all that and still keep our relationship a secret or a punishment for what I did to you in public?” Anders mumbled as he began to hear the elf undress and he became even more excited.

Fenris undid his pants, letting them fall to the ground, “Both.” Was all he answered with and a chill went up Anders’s spine as it became apparent that neither of them would be getting any sleep tonight.

**Author's Note:**

> I enjoyed writing this and I'm thinking about making this into a series with chapters, especially if others enjoyed it as well!


End file.
